Self-closing oil-cup.



D. H. TWAITS.

SELF CLOSING OIL CUP.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-29, 1913.

LQQQMQQD Patented Apr. 17,1917.

position; Figs. 1 and U NTTED DANIEL I-I. TWAITS, F CIEIICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SELF-CLOSING OIL-CUP.

Application filed December 29, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, Damnn H. Twsrrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Self- Closing Oil- Cups, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to oil, cups of the type wherein there is a cup or shell portion and a cap closing the top thereof, and a spring tending to force the cap into its closed position, and the general object is to provide such an oil cup which shall be very simple in construction while being efficient and durable in operation. A more spe cific object is to so construct the cup that it may comprise the least possible number of parts which shall be simple and cheap to manufacture, and which shall be so arranged that the spring is mounted to act most efliciently.

My invention is hereinafter more fully described in connection with the drawing and the essential characteristics are set forth in the claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the oil cup; Fig. 2 is a vertical central section showing the arrangement of the parts; Fig. 3 is a vertical central section taken on a plane at right angles to the plane of Fig. 2 and showing the cap in its raised 5 are enlarged details of the lower end of the cup showing the arrangement of the lower end of the spring.

Referring to the parts by numerals, indicates the body portion or shell of the cup which has an enlarged angular portion 11, preferably hexagonal and near the lower end of the cup, below which is a downwardly extending and externally threaded stem 12.

This stem has an internal passage 1% flaring at its upper end and opening into a cylindrical internal bore of the shell. At the top of the cup this bore opens upwardly and is normally closed by a cap portion 1 rigidly mounted on a vertically slidable sleeve 18 fitting into the bore 15.

The cap portion 17 extends outwardly, as at 20, overhanging the top of the shell and providing a suitable grip for the fingers, whereby the cap may be conveniently raised.

Through one side of the sleeve 18 is formed an opening 22 having one side adjace'nt the overhanging portion of the Specification of Letters Patent.

structing the cap the cup may Patented Apr. 1L 7, 1. 31 7. Serial No. 809,146.

cap and extending preferably about twothirds of the way down the sleeve. When the cap is raised, this hole forms an aperture through which the oil is injected to the in terior of the cup.

To limit the upward movement of the sleeve, a lug 24 is turned inwardly from the upper edge of the shell 10 and extends into the opening 22. This engages thelower side of this opening when the cup is raised and thereby limits its upward movement, insuring about the lower one-third of the sleeve being still within the shell portion.

The spring for returning the cap to its closed position is shown at 25 and is provided with an intermediate coil from which the wire forming the spring extends upwardly at 26 through the cap and at its upper end securing it thereto. the coil the wire extends through the passage 1% turned substantially Below downwardly at 28 in the stem and is at right angles to engage the lower end of the stem, as at 30. To suitably attach the lower end of the wire 28 to the lower end of the stem, it is bent at right angles and then back upon itself at 31, and then upwardly slightly across the lower end of the stem, as at This forms an inverted 1" at the lower end of the wire, the sides of which are prefer ably held in a suitable slide 34: so that the wire will not extend below the lower end of the stem. This also provides for rigidly securing the wire to the lower end of the stem, as this may be accomplished by upsetting the sides of the slot 3 1; to engage the wire extending into the slots.

Although I do not wish to limit myself to the particular construction of the cap and sleeve 18, I find it may be very conveniently formed from one piece of metal by forming a cup and then upsetting the closed end to form the head or overhanging portion 20 and allowing the sleeve to remain a suitable size for sliding in the bore 15. By so coir be made substantially of two pieces with a spring for drawing the cap into the shell portion, which is exceedingly simple and yet which is etiicient in operation, as will be seen from the foregoing description.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an oil cup, the combination of a shell portion having a threaded lower end, a cap for the shell portion having a sleeve is upset.

slidably engaging the interior of the shell portion, said sleeve having a substantially circular opening slightly less in diameter than the diameter of the sleeve itself, an integral inwardly turned projection on the shell portion standing in said opening and adapted to engage the lower side thereof to limit the upward movement of the sleeve, and a spring attached to the cap and shell portion and adapted to draw the cap into the shell portion.

2. In an oil cup, the combination of a shell, a cap for the shell having a sleeve slidably engaging the interior of the shell, said sleeve having an opening through it extending vertically tor a greater distance than half the height of the sleeve, an inwardly turned lug on the shell engaging said opening, and a spring attached to the cap and shell and tending to draw them together.

3. An oil cup made of three pieces of metal and comprising: first, a cylindrical body having an externally threaded lower extension and having an inwardly turned lug at the upper end of the body; second, a sheet metal cap having an intermediate head and a downwardly extending cylindrical wall integrally connected with the head by an annular intermediate portion, there being an opening through the sleeve extending for a considerable distance in a vertical direction, said sleeve being adapted to slidably occupy the interior of the shell with said annular intermediate portion overhanging the top of the shell and the lug on the body eX- tending into said opening, and, third, a coiled tension spring occupying the interior of the cup and anchored at its upper end to the cap and at its lower end to the shell.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL H. TWAITS.

Witnesses GEORGE H. HALE, KARL KUHNEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

